Showing posts with label drawstrings bags. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drawstrings bags. Show all posts

Monday, June 4, 2012

Sweet Surprises

A little over a week ago, I received the sweetest surprise in the mail from my dear friend Lorrie - a "just because I love you" surprise...WOW...it was unexpected and amazing and totally turned my week around. In the package was a a wrapped (yes, wrapped...and we all know how much I love tiny wrapped packages!) present...and inside - a beautiful thread puller with counting pins and a handmade needlecase!

She had the tread puller (aka Thread Catcher) and counting pins made especially  for me (so very thoughtful!) by BeadinHandy on Etsy, using my "blue ribbon blue" color and silver owl beads (shown right - difficult to photograph - click on the image too see it in more detail) - I absolutely ADORE these - they are made beautifully and fit me to a tee - they are perfect...and I see in this particular Etsy shop, there is the cutest set with "rich purple birds" - hmmm, I may need to make a purchase myself. What a special set of treasures!

The beautiful needlecase  was made from of one of my favorite fabric lines (Williamsburg R Presents The Sampler Collection by Windham Fabrics) by Lorrie herself...and it is LOVELY (shown bottom photo - left). I, personally, have made tens of these needlecases, but have given them all away and not kept one for myself...so I was absolutely THRILLED to have one made for me...one that I can treasure and use - oh what a perfect surprise!

....and, as if that wasn't enough, today I received yet ANOTHER small package in the mail from Lorrie...and low and behold, it was a drawstring bag to match my needlecase....in the same fabulous fabric. Again, I have made many of these, only to give all of them away - so to have one all for myself is such a treat! I can't wait to use this special pouch to carry a project on the go with me...and of course, I will have my new matching needlecase filled with needles/pins, scissors, and my little ruler, as well!

Lorrie - thank you so much for lifting my spirits - your kindness and thoughtfulness has touched me deeply. What a wonderful way to start my week....

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

My Christmas...

“Friends are the family we choose for ourselves” - this quote by Edna Buchanan comes to mind as I type this post today. I am so very blessed to have an amazing small circle of friends to call family. Today was Christmas with my two very dear friends, Merry and Kimber...we had such a wonderful afternoon. We met at a local cafe for lunch to celebrate the holidays - and what a marvelous time we had! If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know the three of us tend to go "overboard" each time we get together...and Christmas gives us yet another excuse to spoil each other with gifts! Lunch was delicious and filled with conversation and giggling...and I enjoyed every minute of it...Merry and Kimber truly inspire me and always lift my spirits and encourage me. After lunch, Merry ordered a trio of desserts for us to share that was "sinful" to say the least - it was a lovely sampling of sweet treats...and then it was time for our annual Christmas gift exchange. I have to tell you, this post might be a little long, as there were so many gifts to open...the restaurant host was wise to put us in a corner booth, as it seemed we were there for hours!

I always make a special gift or two for both Merry and Kimber...and then I like to give them some small purchased items...and I always like to give each of them a nice hardcover book to add to their shelves. This year, I made Merry a knitting needle case (which was much more labor intensive than I anticipated, but I was thrilled with the results when it was finished) and a matching large, lined drawstring bag (both were made from the retired fabric line Madeira by Blackbird Designs for Moda - one of her favorites). For Kimber, I made a personalized quilted journal cover and a matching large, lined drawstring bag out of some pink/brown owl fabric that I know she loves (Life's A Hoot by Tammy Anderson for ADORNit). I had so much fun filling their drawstring bags with wrapped goodies (I brought each of them items back from CA and NH) and choosing the books for this year's exchange!

Now - get ready to be inspired, as I share with you the unique items they gifted me this year!

I started by opening Kimber's gifts - and first, I have to share her wrapping paper and decorative box with you - both were adorned with owls! I had to carefully open my presents to save the paisley owl Christmas paper...and the LARGE Chinese takeout style box is one of the cutest I have ever seen - I have to find a fun use for it...

Kimber has the very best taste and finds the most unique and personal gifts - I was just blown away when opening the packages from her! The box was filled with tiny treasures - a special Fiskars paper punch, decorative adhesive tapes, vintage wooden spools, a charm pack of fabulous fabric (Full Circle by Kathy Schmitz for Moda), a lovely notepad, and a package of pretty floss bobbins!

In the large bag, there were several incredible gifts - check out this FABULOUS sewing bird - I LOVE him (or her). This pincushion is about 6.5" H x 9.5" W...and the wings are pockets. Kimber put a package of vintage rick rack in one of the pockets...and the other had vintage look needle packaging. The tag tied on the side says "The Early Bird Gets The Pins!"... and there is a round tag on the front that says "Sew Prim"...isn't it just the coolest??! Oh how I adore this...can't you see me with an entire flock??

Over the past months, I have been asking Kimber all sorts of gardening questions (after-all, she is an expert)...now that all the outdoor work is done on our home, I am ready to start planting this spring. Kimber was thoughtful enough to give me a book on perennial gardening - which is perfect, as she knows I want to plant perennial flowers!

And look what else - this wonderful holiday scrapbook of sorts - it is a canvas covered journal with blank brown paper pages, perfect for writing down my Christmas memories....

Merry did her absolute best to spoil both of us, as well. You all know how multi-talented Merry is...she can stitch, sew, bake, cook, knit, crochet, and just about any other creative thing you can think of...and she does them all SO WELL! Many times you have seen her stellar kitchen skills on my blog - I really am blessed - she makes me goodies all year long - for absolutely no reason - she takes very good care of me. Here is a photo of some holiday treats she made for me....five (yes, FIVE) bags of homemade Biscotti -plain (anise), gingerbread, snickerdoodle, chocolate, and almond chocolate....and see the little house in the photo - it is filled with her homemade Butterfinger Bites (I put a couple in front of the house for the photo) for my husband (and I will definitely be trying one!)...and in the back is a large bottle of homemade Black Raspberry Liqueur (which she "forced" me try and it is delicious)!

...and although that was more than enough - Merry had piles of other special presents for me...she makes me the best pressies....like these gorgeous socks she knitted especially for me....

and this unbelievable beehive pincushion/tape measurer with homemade pins (yep, she made the pins using Shrinky Dinks!)...this seriously brought tears to my eyes. It is so adorable and very tiny - it is only about 2" tall...and it is incredibly detailed...plus Merry knows my grandfather was a beekeeper and the sentiment this gift would have for me. It is amazing...

She also made me a quilted craft pouch for my paper piecing materials and supplies - how awesome is this?? It will hold my tiny cutting mat, small rotary cutter, my add a quarter rulers, plus all sorts of other supplies!

Before I share the last item she made for me, I just have to share a photo of a special box that was in with my gifts - it looks like a book and is decorated with birds, crowns, butterflies, and birdcages...way cool! The photo all shows additional gifts that she slipped in the gift bag - a couple adorable round magnets she made, a metal reindeer ornament, special lip balm, swankie hankies, and the cutest owl stamp set....

and lastly, I have to share this AMAZING magnetic needlework tray she made...it is a small vintage tray/plate (3.25" H x 6" W) - she placed a very strong magnet on the bottom that holds the gold scissors in place (along with pins and needles) and added a handmade wool biscornu pincushion with a gold vintage button in the corner...then she added three crystal pins. I thought this was ingenious and strikingly beautiful - it is so very special!

I truly hope today's post has inspired you and you have more ideas for gift giving!

I have had the happiest of holidays and feel so very blessed. To my close circle of friends (you know who you are) thank you for being my family - I love you all and thank the heavens above for your friendship.

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine." - Thomas Jefferson

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Sunshine On A Rainy Day...

It may have rained all day, but it didn't dampen my spirits...my day was filled with blessings. I accomplished some very large items on my to-do list and got a ton of errand running done...but (most importantly) I took a few hours to meet my dear friend Lorrie for lunch and a holiday gift exchange - it was a delightful afternoon and put a smile on my face for the rest of the day! I always feel right at home visiting with Lorrie - seems we have an endless list of things to talk about and so very much in common - I had been looking forward to our lunch all week. We met at a cozy little local restaurant, which we both enjoy...and we had so much fun catching up we completely lost track of time...all of a sudden we realized it was 2 1/2 hours later....

We were excited to exchange gifts, as we both like to give gifts from the heart and had put a lot of thought into what we made for each other. I knew months ago I was going to make Lorrie a friendship quilt and I had the fabric picked out even before it was available for purchase.

I know she loves the color blue, so I had chosen the fabric line Blueberry Crumb Cake by Blackbird Designs for Moda. I decided to use a small tumbler block (which happens to be one of her favorites - I had no idea) and put my AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter to good use to cut all the pieces. I had the quilt top done a couple weeks ago, but had to wait for the yardage in this fabric line to be released before I could quilt and bind it - luckily I received it last week and was able to get it finished in time.

I put a label commemorating the holiday on the back of the quilt...along with a sleeve and removable hanger, in case she wanted to use it as a wall hanging. I was so pleased with the outcome, I decided to make a matching drawstring bag...which I used as a gift bag for a present I picked out for her while I was in California.


I had absolutely no idea the treasures Lorrie had in store for me - I am actually still a little speechless. I will share them with you in the order I unwrapped them...and it all started with the most amazing card - amazing because she wrote me the sweetest note that truly touched my heart. Lorrie totally gets me, as she wrapped everything individually...and I loved opening each and every gift! The first gift I opened was a FABULOUS project bag she made out of sampler fabric - it is a jumbo size - big enough for an entire project with q-snaps and pattern and all the supplies - it is perfect (a word you are going to get sick of hearing in this post) - and even more special because she made it. I then opened several smaller packages - some lovely handkerchiefs (she knows I like to collect them)...a couple quilt themed notecards (which I think need little frames)...a great little snippit jar from the Amanas (which I plan to use next to my sewing machine)...and a set of bead storage containers (which Lorrie shared an idea to use as bobbin storage)....are these great gifts or what?! I was so blown away...but wait, there's more....

I then opened a large drawstring bag she made from holiday fabric (she even tied jingle bells to the ends of the drawstring!)...inside was one of her absolutely GORGEOUS knitted scarfs - the color is perfect, the style is perfect, her knitting is perfect - yep, it is perfect in every way - I love it - and WILL be wearing it right away....

There were still two gifts left and by now I was already awestruck by her kindness and thoughtfulness. She asked me to save the red wrapped gift for last, so I opened the other - in this package, yet another gift she made for me - two wonderful pillowcases. Lorrie then shared with me that she has a pile of "pretty" pillowcases - when she has a bad day, she grabs one, puts it on her pillow, and curls up in the living room with a good book or a movie (or even takes a nap) - she calls them "special pillowcases". I just adore her cozy idea and will definitely be using these when I need a good boost!

After all this, I had no idea what could possibly be in the package she wanted me to open last - I felt completely pampered - I really was not expecting all this fuss - but it was such a treat to have so many treasures to open! I can't even express how touched I was when I opened the last gift - it is breathtaking. She stitched a piece especially for me and mounted it in a Sudberry box and it is "TO DIE FOR" - it really is....

To find a chart with my initial that has needles, a thimble, a button, a spool of thread, and a pair of scissors...really, what could be more perfect?! After opening it, she shared a lovely story with me of what she envisioned I would keep inside of it and I couldn't think of a better use. Oh...and did I mention she put several little goodies inside the box? - yep, she sure did! I am just so extremely touched by the thought and time that went into each of these special gifts. I honestly felt like it was Christmas, my birthday, and every other special occasion you could think of all rolled into one. Lorrie - your friendship is a true blessing and your talents are limitless - thank you.

After such a wonderful lunch, I finished up my pile of errands and hurried home to clean and organize my studio...after all, I still have a few last minute sewing and crafting projects for the holidays...and yes, I still have to get my Christmas cards in the mail (if I don't finish them up soon, they may have to say "Happy New Year" - or better yet, "Happy Valentine's Day")....

Friday, December 9, 2011

Gifts and Giggles

Today was a good day! - I was able to have lunch with my friend Mary - it had been a while since we had seen one another, so it was marvelous way to spend the afternoon...we also did our annual Christmas gift exchange and a little shopping. I had a fun gift bag of goodies prepared for her...including a sock monkey drawstring bag and twelve little sock monkey ornaments that I had made especially for her...(Marsha - I apologize for this post - I know sock monkeys "creep you out"). I showed you the drawstring bag several days ago...but I wanted to wait to show you the ornaments until after Mary received them. I found a great sock monkey fabric (Santa's Little Helpers by Erin Michael for Moda) that was perfect to make feather tree size ornaments - each is approximately 2" square. I fussy cut twelve squares for the fronts - used a fabric from the same collection for the back (dark brown sock monkey knit texture fabric) - and used 1/8" red and white ribbons for the hangers. These twelve little ornaments fit perfectly in the matching drawstring bag!


Mary had a wonderful assortment of gifts for me, as well. Check out this adorable wool runner - it is SO "me" - it is 8" W x 18" H and will work perfect on the Longaberger end table in my living room! I just adore the red birds on the black wool...

...and check out this pile of goodies - including a pincushion and sweet pea lotion (two of my favorite things!)...and a beautiful Hugging Heart and snowflake magnet by Isabel Bloom.


We had such a fabulous time...and a lot of laughs...and I just have to share this funny story with you:

I LOVE books - I have three large bookcases full of sewing, quilting, stitching, crafting, needlework, "you name it" creative/artistic books in my studio. Many times I will give my dear friends a book or two for Christmas or a birthday. This year I decided to give Mary the book "Cute and Easy Quilting and Stitching" by Charlotte Liddle for Christmas. It is full of adorable projects that incorporate both sewing and needlework...and I thought Mary would really enjoy it and feel comfortable creating the projects. When she opened it, I could tell by her face that she may already have this book in her collection - when I asked, she said she did not, but she had admired a copy of it - she then told me to open one of the packages she had for me...and guess what...it was the same exact book! We had both picked out the same book to give each other...what a hoot! We laughed so hard....of all the books in the world, we both picked the exact same one to give as a gift. I am actually REALLY excited to have a copy, as there are several projects I can't wait to bring to life - including a super cute embroidered bird brooch that incorporates wool and silk fabric with beads, sequins, and pearls....

So, there you have it, a rundown of my very fun day. I have a little sewing to do this evening - then I am off to do more model stitching on "Redwork Garden". Tomorrow will be another full day, as I am headed to my mother-in-law's house to help her with her holiday baking and cookie decorating.

Wishing you a fun-filled weekend - I do hope you make time to do something you enjoy...

Friday, December 2, 2011

Beautiful Drawstring Bags

I'm still feeling a bit behind on my handmade holiday gifts, but an evening in my sewing studio produced five lined drawstring gift bags...and yes, I do already have the items that are going into each one (thank goodness!). I think it took me longer to pick out the coordinating fabrics and cut all the pieces than it did to sew them together...but then again, I do love going through my fabric stash and I tend to get sidetracked (imagine that). These bags were made using one of the best tutorials I have seen - it is on the In Color Order blog...and it is called the Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial. I really enjoy this blog, it is one of my favorites - it is always full of eye candy and great ideas. When I saw the tutorial for the drawstring bags, I knew I had to make a pile for the holidays. The finished size for these bags is approximately 7" W x 10" H...but Jeni has a PDF pattern available for a very reasonable price with instructions for 8 different sizes! For each of my bags I used 3 fat quarters (and had fabric left from each one) and ribbon for the ties...but the tutorial will show you how to make fabric ties, should you desire. Since the bags are fully lined, they are quite sturdy and perfect for "wrapping" holiday gifts (and very easy to customize for a friend or loved one). I am totally tickled with how each of them turned out - I love this pattern. So, instead of the usual paper gift bag, why not try making a few of these lovely reusable drawstring bags...I'm pretty sure you will impress the recipient(s)!